Now, It's Shelly Sterling Heading To Court

((HT: ESPN/KABC-TV))

Shelly, it's your turn...

She will go to probate court to seek an emergency order for a hearing so a judge can confirm that, as representing the Sterling Family Trust, she is the one who can sell the Los Angeles Clippers to Steve Ballmer and that her estranged husband's behavior is still erratic and unrepresentative of the family on the whole.

Shelly Sterling will contend she is the sole trustee of The Sterling Family Trust, which owns the Clippers. Donald Sterling was stripped as co-trustee after, in accordance to Family Trust by-laws, two neurologists determined Donald Sterling was suffering from Alzheimer's and/or dementia and could, therefore, be considered to be “mentally incapacitated.”

Shelly Sterling’s lawyers will ask to confirm the trust by-laws as they are written so the sale can go forward. Donald Sterling can present his side and can appeal any decision in the chain.

“We expect to oppose Shelly’s efforts to take over the trust and sell the team without (Donald Sterling’s) consent,” Maxwell Blecher said in an email to CBS News.

Of course, you do...

Here's the early ideas from when Donald Sterling decided to take his next step...

Donald Sterling Lawsuit Is "Full Speed Ahead" (UPDATED With Sterling Statement)

((HT: Sportsnet/OCRegister-Woike))

Shocking no one...

Maxwell Blecher is telling anyone willing to listen that Donald Sterling is pulling his support for the sale to Steve Ballmer. Sterling wanted assurances that his lifetime ban would be wiped off the books and his $2.5-million fine would be gone as well- and they're not, so he's back to suing the NBA.

From Woike's article, and it seems Sterling's motivation is the new NBA Commissioner Adam Silver:

But that’s not the main reason Sterling reversed course, according to Blecher, who said NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s adamancy in a Sunday press news conference was the primary culprit for Sterling’s change of heart.

Blecher called Silver's handling of the situation, “just plain nasty.”

Silver was concerned about Sterling and said as much to Rachel Nichols in her "Unguarded with Rachel Nichols" program on CNN


Sterling has sent a statement to NBC News that reads in part:

The action taken by Adam Silver and the NBA constitutes a violation of my rights and fly in the face of the freedoms that are afforded to all Americans.

I have decided that I must fight to protect my rights. While my position may not be popular, I believe that my rights to privacy and the preservation of my rights to due process should not be trampled.

I love the team and have dedicated 33 years of my life to the organization. I intend to fight to keep the Team.

Of course, he does...

In addition, Sterling has given his attorneys the go-ahead to chase a billion-dollar federal lawsuit against the league.

Sterlings Working Both Sides Of The Street: Donald Looks To Sue, Shelly Looks To Sell

((HT: KTLA-TV/ESPNLA))

First, from KTLA's Christina Pascucci, via her Twitter:

#EXCLUSIVE #BREAKING I've learned #DonaldSterling plans to sue @NBA and will likely file suit by end of week

Filed through his attorneys, Blecher, Collins, Pepperman, and Joye the complaint involves the desire for a jury trial on a complaint of "Violations for Denial of Constitutional Rights, Breach of Contract, Antitrust Violations, Conversion, and Breach of Fiduciary Duty" whatever all that means...

At the same time, Shelly Sterling is looking to have all letters of intent in house by the end of business eastern time today and is ready to have Bank of America vet all serious bidders by the end of Thursday.

The LA Times James Rainey has word that Shelly Sterling's term letter calls for a 100-percent stake for the new owners- apparently, giving the impression that she will not be around. All that despite Donald Sterling's intent to stay owner and fight the NBA and his wife in the battle for ownership.

Getting all this...???

Rainey lists the main four to pay attention to as:

A Guggenheim group that includes Oprah Winfrey, Larry Ellison, and David Geffen
A Grant Hill-involved group that includes Ares Management's Tony Ressler and Tribune chairman Bruce Karsh
The Steve Ballmer group
A group of middle eastern investors

Bill Simmons, via his Twitter, maintains that Guggenheim will announce their intent Thursday, but the larger issue may be that the Sterlings want $300-million non-refundable up front of the purchase. That would be some kitty for lawyers as Donald Sterling (and, possibly, Shelly independently) would be in court.

Here's the Dean with Donald Sterling's initial response to the NBA's point-of-view from last night
((HT: NBC Los Angeles))


And, yes, it is now somewhat official as Ramona Shelburne confirms on her Twitter through Blecher that Donald Sterling has changed his mind since the letter to the NBA was sent a week ago.

Blecher says that "On May 22 that’s what [Sterling] wanted to do. But as time has evolved he’s come to a much more hardline position."

DEVELOPING: Sterling Refusing Sanctions, Hiring Lawyers

((HT: SI/TheScore))

Michael McCann over at SI has details that embattled Clippers owner Donald Sterling has hired a big-time antitrust lawyer, Maxwell Blecher, who has told the NBA that his client "has done nothing wrong" and will not pay the $2.5-million fine imposed.

In the McCann article, Blechler's approach to combating the NBA is: 1) Saying that Sterling has not violated the NBA Constitution and, 2) Sterling's "due process" was violated.

The NBA seems to already have most, if not all, of their plan in place in battling Sterling. But the guy wants to go to the wall on all of this- not shocking the HQ one damn bit...

Here's the report from last night in Los Angeles that had the story up-to-date to the McCann article